Remove and dispose for employers who don't own their premises

Asbestos removal work is dangerous, and should always be performed by a Licensed Asbestos Removalist who is trained to remove and dispose of asbestos safely, without risk to you and your employees.

Unlicensed removal of limited amounts of asbestos is permitted in certain circumstances only, and is not recommended.

If you don’t own your premises, your building manager or owner is responsible for removing asbestos. However, you are still responsible for ensuring your employees are not exposed to airborne asbestos fibres, so you will need to work closely with your building manager, and the asbestos removalist, to eliminate any risks to your employees.

Keep in mind that you are also responsible for removing any asbestos in plant or equipment over which you have management or control.

If asbestos is being removed from the workplace that you rent or lease, following the steps below can help you manage the process.

Victoria’s health and safety laws require employers to consult with employees and Health and Safety Representatives who are, or are likely to be directly affected by any health or safety matters so far as is reasonably practicable. Consultation must include sharing information, giving employees the opportunity to express their views, and taking those views into account. For example, it is likely that areas of your workplace will be closed off while the asbestos is being removed, so it’s important your employees are aware of the situation.

If you commission the asbestos removal work, you must obtain a clearance certificate. The clearance certificate must be obtained from an independent person before the areas where the asbestos removal work was being performed is re-occupied by your employees. An independent person is someone who is independent from you and the licensed asbestos removalist.

A clearance certificate is a written statement confirming that the area has been cleaned satisfactorily and is safe to be re-occupied for normal use. A clearance certificate is required if the removal work involved any quantity of friable asbestos, or if it involved more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos.

Request the updated asbestos register

When asbestos is removed from your workplace, your building manager or owner must update their asbestos register to reflect the new condition of any asbestos that has been removed, enclosed or sealed.

You should request an updated copy of the register so that you can also update your own register.